Justin Simmons might be close to finding a new NFL home.
Simmons has been available on the free agent market since the Denver Broncos released him in March, but reportedly generated significant interest through the summer. To this point, though, he still hasn’t landed a contract.
The 30-year-old took a free agent visit this week (we’ll get to that momentarily) and could soon find his 2024 landing spot. Simmons, a second-team All-Pro in four of the past five seasons, is by far the best player remaining in Pro Football Network’s Free Agent Rankings.
Where should Simmons sign?
Here are the top five landing spots for the 108-game starter.
Which NFL Team Should Sign Justin Simmons?
5) Atlanta Falcons
While the Atlanta Falcons’ defense has a new play-caller in former University of Washington head coach Jimmy Lake, Atlanta didn’t add many veteran faces to its defensive depth chart.
Rookies like Ruke Orhorhoro, Bralen Trice, and Brandon Dorlus might contribute to the Falcons’ front seven.
But in terms of experienced additions, the team only signed backups such as edge rusher James Smith-Williams and cornerbacks Antonio Hamilton and Kevin King.
Could Simmons fit with the Falcons? He’s traditionally played a deep safety role, but with All-Pro Jessie Bates roaming center field in Atlanta, Simmons could spend time in the box and work ahead of Richie Grant and DeMarcco Hellams.
4) New Orleans Saints
According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Simmons met with the New Orleans Saints today but left without signing a contract.
“This is a guy that has been a good player in our league for a long time,” head coach Dennis Allen said this week, revealing that the Saints were in talks with Simmons earlier this offseason. “He’s a player that has shown an interest in us. We’ve got some connections with him in terms of guys on our staff that have worked with him, guys that have played with him.
“… It’s a visit. He’s coming in, and we’ll talk about how we see him, what type of vision that we have for him, and then if what we’re looking for and what he’s looking for match up, we’ll see if it goes further than that.”
Simmons overlapped with New Orleans defensive coordinator Joe Woods and secondary coach Marcus Robertson with the Broncos. The Saints could rely on 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan Howden to start alongside Tyrann Mathieu after he played over 500 snaps in his rookie campaign, but Simmons might represent an upgrade.
Although New Orleans doesn’t necessarily need to get any older after finishing as the NFL’s oldest team by snap-weighed age in 2023, Simmons will only require a one-year commitment and shouldn’t be too expensive at this point of the offseason.
3) New York Jets
It’s almost too easy to link any accomplished NFL free agent or trade candidate to the New York Jets. They are more “all-in” on the 2024 season than any team in the league. With their jobs on the line, Jets general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh have almost nothing to lose by investing in additional veteran pieces.
We named Jets safety Tony Adams to our NFL All-Breakout Team, but he’s only a one-year starter. Veteran Chuck Clark, set to replace free agent loss Jordan Whitehead in the starting lineup, is recovering from a torn ACL and entering his age-29 season.
New York may already boast the NFL’s top defense — why not add a playmaker like Simmons to tie a bow on the roster?
2) Philadelphia Eagles
Pro Football Network’s Anthony DiBona argued for the Eagles to sign Simmons this week, especially now that Philadelphia is working through multiple injuries in its secondary.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, back with the Eagles after a one-year layover with the Lions, is managing a shoulder injury and sitting out of practice. Sydney Brown played 335 snaps as a 2023 rookie before tearing his ACL in Week 15; he’s on the PUP list.
For now, Reed Blankenship is the last man standing in Philadelphia’s defensive backfield. Beyond him, the Eagles are relying on veterans with limited safety experience (James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox) or players with limited NFL experience (Tristin McCollum and Mekhi Garner).
Simmons worked with new Eagles DC Vic Fangio when the latter was Denver’s head coach. As DiBona notes, rumors have suggested that Simmons and Fangio might not have had the best relationship. Still, Simmons has publicly praised his former coach.
“I owe a lot of my success to Vic and his staff, because just the way they implemented their defense and made me learn the game in a whole new perspective,” Simmons told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner in March. “It was a whole new defense, it was a whole new way of learning. So Philadelphia’s got a great one.”
1) Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts just watched the AFC South-rival Tennessee Titans sign free agent safety Quandre Diggs to a one-year, $3 million deal this week. Could Tennessee’s new addition convince Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard to target his own veteran safety?
Simmons would represent a clear upgrade for the Colts, who are still looking for another safety to step up opposite Julian Blackmon. Ideally, Indianapolis wants to play Blackmon in the strong safety role where he thrived in 2023. But Blackmon has seen free safety reps in training camp as the Colts work through their options.
While former third-round pick Nick Cross entered camp as the favorite to play alongside Blackmon, he hasn’t grabbed the job by the horns. On Tuesday, Cross tackled Colts WR Josh Downs low in practice, giving his teammate a high-ankle sprain.
Head coach Shane Steichen wasn’t pleased.
“We’ve got to be smart,” Steichen said. “We’re competing like crazy, but we’ve got to stay off the ground, and we can’t go down. Bottom line.”
Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Rodney Thomas II are also in the mix for Colts’ safety snaps and have been given first-team reps at practice. Simmons would end that battle the day he put pen to paper in Indy.